Gold, Silver and Green: The Irish Olympic Journey, 1896-1924

CHAPTER EIGHT THE 1912 OLYMPIC GAMES AT STOCKHOLM

CHAPTER EIGHT THE 1912 OLYMPIC GAMES AT STOCKHOLM he 1908 olympics at London marked a high point in Irish and Irish-American olympism. Yet, in the years between 1908 and the next olympics at Stockholm, it became evident that this high point was not going to be approached again. Nor would the overt displays of Irish nationalism which had characterised the 1904, 1906 and, in several ways, the 1908 Games ever be tolerated again. This would happen because of very thorough work mainly but not exclusively by British officialdom, because of internal disputes (again) in Ireland and because of a noticeable decline in some very important quarters of Irish and Irish-American athletics. The British Olympic Association Tightens its Control In the aftermath of London, the BoA moved to copper-fasten its regulations, ensuring that only acceptable sporting bodies could affiliate with it and thus compete under its umbrella at the Stockholm olympics. In January 1909, the BoA agreed that among its defined objectives were: To secure that the views of the National Associations governing Sport in the United Kingdom shall have their due weight and influence in the organization of the olympic movement . . . To promote the participation, both in olympic Games and in such other International Games of similar character as may be approved, and also in International Athletic Congresses, of representatives properly accredited by the National Athletic and 239 Sporting Associations, and to facilitate the attendance of such representatives . . .1 The broadening of the BoA’s remit beyond the mere entry of a team for the olympics was important. Here, it was also seeking to control other international sporting competitions and gatherings. These same objectives listed, among the governing bodies entitled to nominate representatives to the governing body of the BoA, the Irish Amateur Athletic Association, the Irish Cyclists Association and the Irish Amateur Swimming Association. No Welsh organisations were included but both the Scottish AAA and the Scottish Cyclists’ Union were listed. It was clear from the BoA’s stated objectives that there would never be a door open to an organisation like the GAA, should it decide to seek links with the BoA. Seven months later, things were further clarified when an alteration to Rule 3 saw the organisations who could have members on the BoA restricted to the existing list of bodies and to ‘representatives nominated by such other bodies as may be invited by the council to nominate such representatives’.2 Thus, British olympism became formally self-perpetuating and ‘closed’ to outside influence. De Courcy Laffan explained subsequently to de Coubertin that this policy of relying heavily on accredited associations was also an important defence mechanism in the fight to maintain the ‘amateur’ ethos of the Games.3 Further evidence from this same BoA meeting showed that any possibility of admitting new Irish representation was very unlikely. The attendance of the representatives of the three Irish organisations at BoA council meetings became very infrequent from this time on, perhaps due to the distance in time to the next Games in Stockholm and the difficulties in travelling to London for meetings, which also tended to be held on week nights. Examination of the attendances at BoA Council meetings shows that, out of a total of twenty-three meetings, Irish representatives made six, with Dr Bulger of the IAAA accounting for four of these, and Messrs Metcalf of the ICA and Leighton of the IASA making just one meeting each. It is worth noting that the Scots, with the issue of travelling to London for meetings being almost as complex, fared little better. The Scottish AAA, in fact, never saw its representative attend one meeting, Gold, Silver and Green 240 although J. Blair of the Scottish Cyclists’ Union managed to attend on fifteen occasions (perhaps he was London-based).⁴ In seeking out possible barriers to Irish representation in 1912, we also find that the BoA’s new legal adviser was G.S. Robertson, old adversary of Boland and Irish representation. The notion that Robertson would in any way fail to block attempts at separate representation for nations within the United Kingdom at future olympic Games was barely imaginable. Nevertheless, a very important communication arrived at the BoA from the IAAA early in 1911, pleading the case for Irish representation on the IoC prior to Stockholm. Coinciding with the first appearance in some time of Dr Bulger at a Council meeting, the minutes of the...